Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney impresses Broncos in joint practice

At Tuesday’s practice between the Broncos and Texans, Jadeveon Clowney showed why he was the top overall draft pick. (Jack Dempsey, The Associated Press)

It took all of two hours Tuesday for No. 1 overall draft pick Jadeveon Clowney to show why heâ€™s one of the most hyped pass rushers in recent memory.

Just ask Ryan Clady, the Broncos‘ left tackle who was charged with keeping Clowney away from Peyton Manning during Tuesdayâ€™s joint practice with the Houston Texans at the Broncosâ€™ Dove Valley training complex.

â€śHeâ€™s gonna be in this league for a while,â€ť Clady said. â€śHeâ€™s definitely got some explosiveness, and I can see why he was the first overall pick for sure. It shows. Itâ€™s just how fast he can move at his size. Not a lot of guys can do that and heâ€™s obviously gonna have success in this league with that kind of talent.â€ť
Several times Clady and Clowney matched up in individual drills and live team exercises. Once, toward the end of practice during a hurry-up drill, Clowney beat Clady to the inside and pressured Manning on a touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas. Had it been a regular season game, itâ€™s likely that Clowney would have knocked Manning to the ground on the throw, if not made it all the way there for a sack.

Clowney received similar reviews from Broncos tight end Julius Thomas, who helped double-team Clowney a few times when he moved off the line and into a linebacker position. Thomas said Wednesdayâ€™s practice would be more telling, though, because players will be in full pads (although the teams still wonâ€™t tackle to the ground.)

The Texans, with Clowney and two-time Pro Bowler J.J. Watt often lining up on opposite ends, will likely have one of the strongest defensive lines in the league. Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who has gone up against Watt in the past, acknowledged that Tuesday.

â€śWhen you combine that kind of ability and his work ethic, that is why heâ€™s such a special player,â€ť Manning said of Watt, who tallied 10 1/2 sacks last season. â€śAnd obviously Clowney appears to be one heck of a talent.â€ť

But the praise for Watt and Clowney wasnâ€™t just coming from the Broncosâ€™ offense. Denver defensive end DeMarcus Ware said he could tell the rookie was a special player just from watching on the sideline.

â€śI see how athletic he is and how he plays the game,â€ť Ware said of Clowney. â€śHe had a couple plays in practice today where you could see his athleticism. J.J., heâ€™s the same thing. … He can rush the passer and stop the run and make big plays.â€ť

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.